Mac vs Windows. Windows vs Mac. Why choose if you can get the best of both worlds by dual booting? Install Windows on Mac so you can jump back and forth from one operating system to another on the same computer.
By now, the practice is well-established and Windows can work on Mac well. In this article, we’ll have a deep look at installing Windows on Mac. Don’t worry, we’ll have your back the whole way through!
Boot Camp for Mac vs virtualization software
If you want to install Windows on your Mac, you have two options. You can either use Mac Boot Camp, a native feature of the macOS operating system, or you can use a third party virtualization program. Both methods have their own pros and cons, so let’s dive in.
Boot Camp is built into the operating system of all Macs. If you go to your Applications > Utilities folder, you’ll see the Boot Camp Assistant app. It makes the separate partition on your hard drive for installing and running Windows. Once Windows is installed in Boot Camp, every time you turn on your Mac, you will be asked to choose the operating system you want to run. This means that in order to switch from macOS to Windows, you need to reboot your computer.
Aug 5, 2011 - On the Mac, I originally installed Windows 7 on a Boot Camp partition. But after a recent memory and disk upgrade I've been looking at. May 17, 2017 For Mac users who also need to use a PC at work, home or just with specific applications, there is a solution. Using Boot Camp Assistant, you can install Windows 7 on your Intel-based Mac computer in its own partition.
Advantages
- built into your operating system
- easy to use — Boot Camp Assistant guides you through the installation process
- puts less strain on your Mac’s memory and processing power
- completely free (not Windows of course)
- easy to update
Disadvantages
- you need to reboot your computer to switch between the systems
- transferring data between operating systems isn’t easy
Virtualization programs are third-party applications that allow to install a separate operating system on one machine. They run like any other app on your Mac, so you can see the entire Windows desktop within a window on your computer.
Among the most popular virtualization programs are VirtualBox, Parallels, and VMware. Each one has its peculiarities, but we’ll try to sum up what they have in common.
Advantages
- you can run both operating systems at the same time
- easy file integration between systems
Disadvantages
- you need at least 8 GB of RAM for Mac to run smoothly
- virtualization apps are not cheap
- updates are not free
Depending on your specific needs, you can choose the option that works best for you. But we suggest using Boot Camp. It’s a free native feature of your operating system, running directly on your hardware. Therefore, it will be faster than any other method. And below, you’ll find all information on how to run Boot Camp on your Mac.
How to use Boot Camp: Preparing your Mac
1. Check the system requirements
Some versions of Windows require a certain processor and more hard drive space than the others. Therefore, you have to check the documentation that came with your copy of Windows to learn what you need.
You also need to make sure that your Mac is compatible with the version of Windows you want to install. For instance, Windows 10 is supported on these models:
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
- MacBook Air (2012 and later)
- iMac (2012 and later)
- Mac Mini (2012 and later)
2. Clean up your hard drive
You need to have at least 55 GB of free disk space on your startup drive for installing Windows on a Mac. And if you don’t feel like spending the next several hours cleaning your Mac manually, you can use a powerful utility CleanMyMac X to find and remove all the junk from your startup disk.
CleanMyMac has everything to finish the 3-hour task of cleaning your hard drive in less than 5 minutes. It will scan every inch of your system and remove gigabytes of junk in two clicks. By the way, CleanMyMac finds about 75 GB of junk on average — more than enough for a smooth Windows installation.
Here’s how to clean your Mac with CleanMyMac X:
- Download CleanMyMac here.
- Run the app and click Scan.
- Click Run.
That’s it! Gigabytes of junk are gone from your computer forever.
3. Back up your Mac
Finally, you should also perform a backup of your Mac in case something goes wrong. Although, it happens very rarely, it’s always better to back up your important data. There are a few methods of backing up your Mac, so choose the most convenient one for you.
You can make automatic backups with Time Machine — software that comes with your Mac. It backs up all data, so you can recover individual files or your entire system from your backups. You may also store files in iCloud and access them whenever you need. iCloud comes with 5 GB of free storage but you can upgrade it any time. If you have an external storage device, you can copy some files and folders on it.
We do recommend you to back up your Mac before installing Windows as it minimizes the chance of losing important data.
How to Install Windows with Boot Camp
Here’s how to install Boot Camp. The installation can be a little time consuming, but it is by no means difficult. Check out the details below.
Step 1: Get a Windows disk image
First of all, you need to get the Windows disk image (ISO file) from the Microsoft website. Here’s how to download it:
- Visit the Windows 10 disk image download website.
- Go to the Select edition menu and choose Windows 10.
- Click Confirm.
- Choose the language of installation and click Confirm.
- Click 64-bit Download and then click Save.
The ISO file now will be downloaded to your Mac.
Step 2: Open Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp Assistant guides you through installing Windows on your Mac. You just have to follow the onscreen instructions. To launch the Boot Camp Assistant, go to Applications > Utilities folder. Click continue and Boot Camp for Mac will automatically locate the ISO file on your system.
Step 3: Create a partition for Windows
When you are done with the Assistant, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. When you are asked where you want to install Windows, choose the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format.
*Note that this step is only required if you’re using a flash drive or optical drive to install Windows. In other cases, the right partition will be selected and formatted for you automatically.
Step 4: Install Windows
To finish the installation, you have to follow the onscreen instructions. Take a long breath — the next 12 steps may seem like climbing Everest, but it’s much easier than you think. Here’s how to install Windows on a Mac:
- Choose your ISO file and click the Install button.
- Type your Password and click OK. You will see the Windows Setup screen.
- Select your language.
- Click Install Now.
- Type your product key if you have it. Otherwise, click 'I don’t have a product key'.
- Select Windows 10 Pro or Windows Home and then click Next.
- Click Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP.
- Click Next. Windows 10 will be installed.
- When the Setup screen appears, click either Use Express Settings or Customize Your Installation. We recommend you to choose the Customize button and disable most, if not all of the switches.
- Then you’ll be asked to create an account. Type a username. You can also add a password if you want.
- Click Next.
- Choose whether you want to use the Cortana personal assistant or not. You can disable it by clicking Not Now button.
Windows will boot fully so you can use it normally.
On the Welcome to Boot Camp Installer box, click Next and accept the terms in the license agreement. Then click Install to proceed. When the installer completes, click Finish to reboot your machine.
Step 5: Restart your Mac
By default, your Mac will still boot to macOS. To access Windows, you have to turn your Mac off and then turn it on while holding the Option (Alt) key. You will be asked from which drive you’d like to boot.
Note that while in Windows, the Mac’s Command key functions as the Windows key, while the Option key functions as the Alt key. If you have a Touch Bar, you’ll see a complete set of buttons, similar to the Control Strip in macOS.
How to remove Windows from your Mac
If for some reasons you don’t need Windows anymore, you can permanently remove it from your Mac. Follow these steps:
- Boot into macOS, launch Boot Camp Assistant and click Continue.
- Choose 'Remove Windows 7 or later version' or 'Remove Windows 10 or later version'.
- Click Restore when you see the Restore Disk to a Single Volume option.
The Boot Camp Assistant will automatically remove Windows from your Mac.
Warning: All data, including software and files, stored on the Windows partition will be deleted, so make the backup copies first.
That may seem like a lot of steps, but it doesn’t take all that long to install Windows on a Mac. Now you can enjoy two operating systems and switch between them right when you need. Cheers!
These might also interest you:
GarageBand for Windows: GarageBand is a unique sound mixing app developed by Apple. It is an app which gives you the ability to create and edit music. GarageBand users with the use of Xmodgames don’t have to pay for anything, it’s free of cost. It is the easiest tool to create good music on your Mac PC. Many music enthusiasts and professionals use this app for recording sound tracks and mixing music. Today we will be discussing how we can easily download GarageBand for PC later on, but for now let’s dig more into this app.
It has many fascinating features that none of the other apps can give to its users. Imagine you can compose your own music without paying for it. It has never been so easy to compose music like a pro & you can even share it worldwide.
With the features it has, we don’t need the reason to find why GarageBand is currently one of the most popular apps in the world especially in the music arena. It is so easy to use that even a novice Smartphone user can fill his/her thrust with this application for free.
We can say that GarageBand for PC is like a mobile audio studio which lets you compose sounds, songs and record your voice too. We think the idea of allowing the users to create their own music is very interesting. If you have any interest in music then it is the software which I recommend for you to start with.
Since, GarageBand is developed by Apple; it is officially made for only Mac computers or iOS devices i.e. only for Apple products. However, there are some software companies who have made it possible to use GarageBand for Windows also. In this post you will get to know about how to download GarageBand for windows (10/7/8/8.1) and Mac.
What you will learn from this post:
- Features of GarageBand.
- How to download Garage Band for Windows 7/8.1 or 10?
- Steps to download & install GarageBand for Mac computers
- Download GarageBand using Rare Software
- Alternatives of GarageBand
GarageBand Features
GarageBand for PC is an exceptional application for the users to create and edit music on their own. It has many exciting features which make GarageBand a great tool for mixing music. With all these features listed below, it makes the app a user-friendly one for sound mixing and creating music.
Here are some of the fascinating features of GarageBand:
- The main purpose for GarageBand is to let the users create their own songs and music.
- It comes with a feature of virtual keyboard & external keyboard can also be used by using USB.
- The best feature about garage band is that it provides a guide on how to edit or create music.
- It has an audio recording feature too through which users can record their own voice & use it in composing their music.
- You can create music within a short span of time.
- There are various audio filters available for the users.
- Being an Apple product, it have good user interface.
- GarageBand comes with preset sounds of violin, voice, guitar, orchestra, keyboard and many more.
- This app is free to use.
This amazing app is very helpful for the music industry and music enthusiasts. With the help of GarageBand you can easily shape any sound with the custom knobs and sliders in the app. The users can record and mix music just like true professionals. GarageBand is a great invention and a wonderful gift to the music lovers.
GarageBand for Windows 7/8.1/10
GarageBand is officially not available for Windows. It’s only available for Apple devices i.e. Mac, but luckily with the help of the software named as Bluestacks; it is possible for the Windows users to download GarageBand for their laptops or PCs. By using Bluestacks (Android emulator) you can easily get GarageBand for PC in just few minutes.
Here are the steps to download GarageBand for Windows:
- Firstly, you will have to download Bluestacks in your Windows PC (Get it from HERE).
- After the download is complete, install the software by following the setup instructions.
- Once the software is installed successfully, you have to open it. It will look like an Android interface like any other Smartphone.
- After that you have to search for the GarageBand in the Google play store.
- Once, you have found the app. Just click on the install button & your installation will start.
These are the simple steps to download GarageBand for your Windows PC by using Bluestacks software. The above steps to download and install would take about 10-12 minutes of your time.
If the above process is completed without any problem or interruption, then you are all set to use GarageBand on your Windows Pc. After the installation you can create your own music on GarageBand for free.
Note: You can also use any other android emulator like Andy for downloading GarageBand on your Windows Pc.
Also Check: Download KIK for PC | Best KODI Add-ons
Steps to download & install to GarageBand for Mac Computer or PC
It is very easy to download GarageBand on your Mac OS because it was officially made for Mac users. Therefore, Mac users can very easily download and use it on their Mac.
Then here are the steps to follow to install GarageBand app on your Mac computer.
- To download this application, you will have to open the website of iTunes and search for the GarageBand application for your Mac Pc.
- Once you have found the application, you just have to download and install it in your Mac computer.
Once the installation is successful, you can enjoy the remarkable feature of this app.
Download GarageBand for PC using Rare Software
You can download GarageBand in your windows computers or laptops using the popular software named as Rare Software. Rare software is a firm which gives users the privilege to download GarageBand app for Windows Pc. To download GarageBand one has to simply visit the site of Rare Software. After that you just have to visit the link they will provide you for this awesome app and open the downloader to install the GarageBand app for your Windows PC. Rare Software allows downloading GarageBand app for free.
Update: 16 December, 2015
Innovation has no end. And in same direction, the companies have come up with a superb app called as Stagelight. It is an exclusive app through which you can easily become a music maker from a music lover in no time. Its user interface is superb easy and the app comes with some free features as well, so you can start using it right away. As you progress in your journey of touchscreen music making, you can slowly unlock features and become a pro. This app will surely be giving Garageband for both PC (Windows 7 8 10) and Mac a touch competition in coming time.
Update: 20 December, 2016
Some users were finding problems learning & using Garageband on iPad. This is how you can go about learning the basics. When you will open the Garageband for PC app on your iPad, you will find a Question mark button on the top right corner of the app. Just click on it, and with every step, it will show you how to use the different tools and options of the app while using it. You can also seek online web help for using it here -> http://help.apple.com/garageband/ipad/2.0.7 If you still find any problems using it on your iPad, Windows or PC just let us know by contacting us.
Update: 10 March 2016
GarageBand for PC/ Windows is now being used in schools in St. Louis County to promote art education. Students are encouraged to make their own music using the app. They can record their own voices or organize instruments, and then employ their skills and understanding to formulate their own art pieces. The course is beig lauded. The plan saves children from anxiety of performing in front of the class. It also nurtures creativity without limitations, since the teacher does not give them a piece to perform but lets the students choose and arrange their music for themselves.
Alternatives of GarageBand
There are many other alternatives for Garage Band for PC. This app is not available for Windows PCs due to which it lacks some features. The alternatives for GarageBand are StageLight and MixCraft. These two apps are very popular and free for Windows users. MixCraft & StageLight allows users to edit sound and create music.
Now, you can enjoy GarageBand even on your Windows (Xp/7/8). If you have any issues regarding the download & installation of GarageBand app for PC Windows & Mac computer, then you can contact us by commenting on this post. Please try and tell us the exact issues and we will try to solve it asap.
Important Links –
GarageBand for PC – Windows 7, 8, 10 & Mac Computers (Updated)